Here’s a fun one. The Sevenhugs Smart Remote is a universal remote for the Internet of Things. You pair it with your Sonos, Apple TV, Philips Hue lights, Xbox, Nest thermostat, or what have you, place a handful of discrete motion sensors around your living room, tell those sensors where your stuff is, then watch as the virtual controls on its 3.5-inch display change based on where it's pointed. Essentially, it melds the companion apps of various connected home devices into one gadget, with WiFi, Bluetooth, and an IR blaster all built in.
So, when you point at Hue lights, you get sliders to change their color and intensity. When you point at a media streamer, you can adjust the volume or pick from a handful of app shortcuts. If you point somewhere with multiple gadgets, you can swipe through separate icons and change accordingly. You can also make it so pointing at a particular spot in your room calls a service like Uber.
Sevenhugs says it’s got support for most of the major home devices and services already — the PlayStation 4 is the big missing one, for now — and that the battery should last two to three days on average. We can’t say how accurate and smooth it is until we’re able to use it ourselves (though it felt fine in a during a quick demo), and the device itself will cost a very pricey $300. But if you’re all-in on the smart home, there’s the potential for a delightful little accessory here.